TfGM has responded to the ongoing COVID-19 physical distancing conditions by making improvements to the waiting times at traffic lights.
The changes are to assist with pedestrian priority and overall accessibility in the city region by reducing the chances of groups forming while waiting at lights. This is intended to enable safer movement of people undertaking their daily exercise and essential trips, including for key workers and food shopping.
Traffic signals have been changed to reduce your waiting time if you’re making an essential journey on foot 🚦
This is so people are less likely to group together at pedestrian crossings, helping you to maintain social distancing & travel safely.
Photo from @KatKynes, Insta pic.twitter.com/UvCASeZYsf
— TfGM #StayHomeSaveLives (@OfficialTfGM) April 22, 2020
The news follows encouraging rhetoric coming from the Town Hall, including from Executive Member for the Environment, Planning and Transport, Angeliki Stogia, who said the following:
With so few cars on the roads today the true extend of how much urban space we devote to cars stares at us on the face. Must seize the opportunity to give more space to safely walk & bike #openstreets #manchester
Are you with us?#activetravel #WalkingStreets https://t.co/agHSPOghBU— Angeliki Stogia (@AngelikiStg) April 18, 2020
With the Greater Manchester councils due to meet imminently to discuss emergency planning options, Walk Ride GM are coordinating a database of the locations that require emergency planning interventions to make our living environments safer and more pleasant in the context of COVID-19 physical distancing rules. This includes compiling photographs and videos of difficult passing points, such as where people are being required to walk in the road where cars are passing, and where this will become more dangerous as more cars begin to return to the roads.
Sustrans has provided a breakdown of the intervention options available to enhance people’s safety on our streets, which could be applicable for your local area (read more here).
If you would like to bring to our attention a location that requires some intervention or would like to get involved in any other way then please contact hello@walkridegm.org.uk.